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Anomalisa (2015)
Very strange but nonetheless enlightening.
I've always loved animation as a medium, stop-motion animation in particular is a very cool form of it, as you're taking a puppet or whatever, and by taking various pictures of it, you're making it come alive. I've seen plenty of stuff using it that was made for all audiences, and the only real adult one I know of would be the TV show Robot Chicken. But Anomalisa, which I found out about from online reviewer Ralphthemoviemaker, I was intrigued to give this a watch, seeing that it was a stop-motion film strictly for adults. And while I found the film overall very strange, it was nonetheless enlightening.
The film is about Michael Stone(voiced by David Thewlis), a British man living in the United States and works as a motivational speaker for customer service, who has gotten stuck in the mundanity of life where everyone he meets, even his wife and young son, all look and sound the same(all voiced by Tom Noonan). After checking into his hotel room in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a speaking event, he hears a voice, a different voice from all the identical voices he hears. He quickly searches for it and finds that it came from a young woman named Lisa(voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh). After taking her out for drinks and a night of intimate passion, tells her he wants to be with her. But the next morning he's annoyed by her imperfections and then sees her turning into the same face he sees out in the world, and her voice turning into the same voice he hears from everyone he meets.
This movie is unlike anything I've seen before. A stop-motion film for adults about a man going through a mid-life crisis where nothing and no one excites him, but when something new and interesting comes into his life, it becomes boring like everything else in his life. It's very powerful stuff I feel, as I feel lots of people can relate to Michael's conflict about getting bored in life. And how everything might start great and exciting, but then quickly turns boring and the excitement goes away. And so you're left feeling, nothing, empty, lost. While I wouldn't call the film, all that funny, it has moments pare for the course in adult animation, like the obligatory sexual content like the sex shop Michael visits where he buys his young son a Japanese sex doll and no one seems all that fazed by it. And Michael trying to get a girl into his hotel room for sex, including an old flame from his past. While none of this stuff is new, it all comes together into something I couldn't even try to predict. Though I will say the ending didn't leave me all that satisfied, I feel that the film is saying that no matter what, life goes on, and that we will continue to grow as people, and one day that excitement we crave in life will come again in due time.
The animation is phenomenal, and according to one of the directors Charlie Kaufman, his reason for having this story animated was that the viewers were more likely to take note of small details that they wouldn't have if it was live-action. And I like how Michael himself seems to be aware that he's a stop-motion puppet, he doesn't make it a big deal, but it's amusing when he does. The actors performing the dialogue really bring the characters to life and make these puppets come across as living human beings.
While I didn't love the film, I found the film's look into mid-life crisis to be very interesting and enlightening. The choice of stop-motion was very creative and made for a very visually interesting film to look at, and the writing while containing cliches did them in a way that was interesting and brought the whole film into a coherent whole. And while the ending was kind of disappointing, I know that that was the point, as in life nothing is ever as simple as a happily ever after, life is messy, life is boring, but life goes on, and if you want things to change you got to make the effort to do so, no one can do it for you. The movie can be a bit slow at times as the whole film pretty much takes place within the span of one night, and again with cliches in adult animation present in the film that I am not much of a fan of, are what kept me from really loving the film. I love what the film is discussing and making a point about and it's done very creatively. But it's not a film I would say I loved or liked, it was okay. I love the point and the craft of the film, and it all comes together nicely but not really something I would rewatch, but it's something I'll most certainly never forget.
And isn't that the mark of something really special?:)
The Fanatic (2019)
It's got some neat ideas but overall it's a mess
I don't remember exactly when I first stumbled upon this movie. But I do remember seeing Chris Stuckmann's review of it and ever since I've been interested in giving it a watch. I then finally saw it on Amazon Prime just yesterday as of this writing and while it's not nearly as bad nor funny as I thought it would be, it's got some neat ideas but overall it's a mess.
Here's the premise, we have a man named Moose played by the great John Travolta. While it's never outright said in the film, he's on the autistic spectrum due to his speech patterns and behavior. He's actor Hunter Dunbar(played by Devon Sawa)'s number one fan and wants to have his autograph. But loses his chance due to rotten luck and Hunter Dunbar's NOT a nice guy. Desperate for his autograph, Moose begins to stalk Hunter much to his frustration, and it all goes downhill from there.
It's a decent enough premise, pretty much all celebrities have crazed fans and in some cases have turned deadly. So as viewers, we can only imagine the fear of being a well-known person and having someone stalk you and maybe even kill you because of their obsession is a very scary thing indeed. And the movie gets that part right, but it's clear that Moose is not a dangerous person at all, he just flat-out doesn't understand what he's doing is creepy. Hunter has every right to be freaked out, but he's also a huge jerk too, I mean I get being a celebrity is stressful, but his treatment of Moose before the dark turn, in the end, is just needlessly harsh, so it's hard to feel too much sympathy for him. Like the first time Moose and Hunter interact, yeah Moose shouldn't have bothered him when he was discussing with his ex-wife about their son, but still, as a viewer, Hunter comes across as someone you shouldn't feel too bad for since he's a jerk to Moose at every turn, again it's understandable to be spooked and annoyed, but Hunter's behavior towards Moose as the film progresses is only adding fuel to Moose's obsession of getting on his good graces. But Moose isn't innocent either, for continuing to stalk Hunter when Hunter told him to stop, but again, isn't doing it out of maliciousness but out of an innocent obsession that's getting out of hand. So Moose to me is a fairly sympathetic character because of this, and also there are street performers that bully him which only makes him more sympathetic. He does have one friend at least who tries to keep him on track and one security guard who encourages him to stand up for himself so he's not completely alone. But being Moose, he takes what they tell him, misconstrues it, and continues stalking Hunter and eventually holding him hostage. And Hunter does have moments of him being a good dad to his son and you can say his aggression is partly due to him wanting to protect him, but still, Hunter is very far from a sympathetic character.
Again this is a good premise, the ingredients are there, but because of Hunter's unsympathetic behavior throughout the film it's hard to care about him, Moose is clearly out of line too but he's portrayed more sympathetically despite his stalking, so what we're left with are characters we don't feel much for or don't know how to feel about. We can understand how each of them feels, but what they're both doing is wrong across the board. And when the movie ended it was like what what was the point the film was trying to make? And as straight-up entertainment, it kind of falls flat and leaves me feeling kind of depressed and confused.
To further elaborate the film's messy writing, there's a scene where Hunter tries to comfort his housekeeper after she shoos Moose out of the backyard, she's very freaked out and for some reason, Hunter kisses her on the lips. Just, ew! You don't do that! And also, how is it that no one noticed the letter Moose left back there? The gardener, Hunter, and the housekeeper let sit it there for a day or so until the housekeeper actually notices it and then finally goes to look at it and Moose accidentally murders her. And when Hunter gets Moose to free him from being tied to his bed, Hunter shoots Moose's fingers off and stabs him in the eye, it looks like Hunter is enjoying that, but then has a moment of remorse and lets him go. Just, what? And there's a moment that flat-out just took me out of the movie, Hunter is in his car with his son, and music from Limp Bizkit plays and Hunter lets him know that they're his favorite band. The director and one of the writers for this movie is Fred Durst, the lead singer of the band. That's just pathetic.
Also, there are moments in the movie where we see moments from the movie drawn in chalk, like time-lapse drawings. I do not see what these add to the movie, the art isn't bad in a freaky children's book sort of way but they don't add anything to the film, and to me, it's just the director making this film seem more artistic than it is. Also, there is narration from Moose's friend Leah, why is she narrating this story when she's not present to see what Moose is doing? Again, I don't see what her narration adds to the film as even as an observer of what Moose is doing it doesn't come together for the film and only adds to the messiness.
So the script is a complete mess, but what isn't a mess is everything else. The acting isn't bad at all, John Travolta, Devon Sawa and everyone else did about as well as they could with the material and direction they were given. The cinematography and sets are great, and the budget for the film is unknown but it's clear there was money behind this production, as filming took place in Birmingham, Alabama, which makes for a convincing Los Angeles.
So overall it's not necessarily a bad film per se, it's got a good premise that's interestingly presented thanks to Moose's childlike view of his idol, but with its messy script and execution, what could've been an interesting take on the celebrity stalker story doesn't come together into a coherent whole and is just a plain weird movie. The actors do their best, the cinematography is pretty, and the production value is high, but if you're looking for a good psychological thriller this isn't it. I wouldn't recommend seeing this unless you're very curious as to how bad it is, you might get some laughs out of it, but for me, this movie was just meh.
I'm certainly not a fanatic for this film.
Hawaiian Birds (1936)
Shallow but charming
As stated in one of my previous reviews, being Bunny Mooning, I first stumbled upon this short in a dirt cheap VHS tape my dad bought at Walmart. I enjoyed the tape quite a bit as I LOVED old cartoons even at a young age. I found them comforting and I still do to this day. But like I mentioned in my Bunny Mooning review, Fleischer Studios' Color Classics aren't quite the classics that Disney and Warner Bros are today. But can still be taken for the pure joyful nothing that they are. But for Hawaiian Birds, perhaps there's just a bit more.
Hawaiian Birds revolves around a bird couple in Hawaii who are in love and find a place to build their nest. While the male bird is busy building the nest, a performing troupe of bird singers flies over to a tree nearby and performs, which catches the girl bird's attention. She then flies over and dances for them which impresses them, their leader asks her if she would join them. She writes her mate a note goodbye and flies away with them. The boy bird finishes building their nest and goes to look for her. He finds her note and is saddened by it, but is determined to win her back. He flies to where I presume is New York City and starts looking for her but struggles with the cold(accurate). Meanwhile, at a nightclub, the leader of the performers seemingly having enough of the girl bird kicks her out. She pleads to be let back in but is constantly pushed away and told to get out. The cold gets to her and the height of the buildings scares her. She pulls out a picture of the male bird, kisses it, and hugs it, regretting having left him. She then takes a few pieces of her straw hula skirt ties up her arms and prepares to walk off the building but backs up from fear each time. Back below the male bird flies to a cigarette to warm up. The girl bird then forces her to fall off the building and she does and lands right on top of the male bird. She is overjoyed to see him and showers with kisses. They fly back to Hawaii and he shows her the house he made for them and she loves it, they go inside and pull down the shutters and their silhouette shows them kissing.
So quite a bit happens in this short, compared to other Color Classics that I reviewed Bunny Mooning and Dancing on the Moon which had very little happening. This seems to have a plot. Which is nice, it's not a bad premise but it does leave a bit to be desired. I know it's a cartoon but it feels that being short and having the main characters mainly tweet and not talk kind of bites this short in the tail feathers.
When the girl just up and leaves with the performing troupe, why exactly? I can understand the allure of fame and fortune is very tempting for someone who's young and may be from a more humble background, but still, it feels kind of selfish on her part to just leave her man like that easily. Also, this shows how our culture has changed since 1936, as nowadays, if someone were to just up and leave you like that, you forget about them and leave them to the streets. But in this short, the male bird flies to win her back. I understand that this is a common trope in stories, and perhaps I'm just bitter from real life, but it feels like a fool's pursuit for the male bird to get his girl back who may not even want to go back with him. If she is willing to up and leave him just like that, then she'll do that with every relationship she's in. Again I know it's a cartoon, but that's just what was going through my mind in regards to the characters' characterization.
And another thing, why exactly did the performing leader kick the girl bird out? We don't see what happened in the nightclub they were in. Like what did she do that caused him to kick her out? Was he just using her? What happened? This is where I feel this being a short harms the story as we the audience don't know what caused the sudden heel-face turn of the performing leader to leave the girl bird out in the snow all of a sudden. It could've used a bit more fleshing out.
But I will give the part where she kisses the picture and seems to regret her actions and the reunion and ending with the male bird being sweet. But again I still feel that the male bird should've just told the girl bird to beat it and have that nice nest all to himself.
So overall it's a nice little short. Certain aspects of the short's plot could've had more development, the characterization is certainly dated in this day in age, but I still found it charming. The music in the short is solid, with Hawaiian music at the beginning being very relaxing and dreamlike, and the music perfectly captures the drama of the two birds when they're in New York trying to find each other. The animation is solid with charming character designs and fluid motions, with the girl bird clearly taking inspiration from Betty Boop who is also a Fleischer Studios creation, and what little voice work is in the short is done well. And while the story is again kind of bland it at least has a clear 3 act structure and I guess some character development since we see that the girl bird learned her lesson and goes back to live a nice life with her love in the paradise of Hawaii.
It could use more development in the plot department and perhaps a bit longer run time to flesh out the story a bit more. But overall compared to the other Color Classics I saw this one feels a bit more complete and fulfilling.
Worth a watch for old-school animation fans, just don't expect Disney or Warner Bros level storytelling.
Runaway Brain (1995)
Mickey's Best Short
I like to think I'm Mickey's biggest fan. Which is certainly a title that many people would like to claim, though honestly that title will belong to Janet Esteves who has more than once broke her record of the world's largest Mickey Mouse collection, and as I far I know it's still growing. But never the less, I love Mickey Mouse thanks to the various shows and movies I've seen of him growing up(I'm still waiting for Disney to put House of Mouse on Disney+). I then started looking into Mickey's rich history of his film career and being the mascot for Disney as a whole. Many of his projects are still very much beloved to this day, but there's one short in particular that Disney has been very quiet about, and that is Runaway Brain.
Released in 1995, premiering along side A Kid in King Arthur's Court and a Goofy Movie internationally. Runaway Brain tells the story of Mickey Mouse who needs to get a ton of money in time for him and Minnie's anniversary. He looks at the newspaper and finds an ad for a mindless day's work at a lab, only to find that he's an unwilling test subject in a brain transplant with a monster. And once the monster's brain is in Mickey's body and finds out about Minnie, Mickey in the monster's body has to stop him.
That's pretty much the premise, and it's a very fun one at that. Parodying Frankenstein and referencing The Exorcist of all things, it's a lot of fun and also very dark for a Mickey short which is a refreshing change of pace I feel. As the stakes are higher so the suspense is greater. And the overall aesthetic is rather dark and kind of gloomy like that of a horror film. Its Mickey's darkest short though it's still light and fun, but still creepy as when Mickey and the monster switch brains, the lab blows up, and when Mickey in the monster's body taps the professor on the shoulder, the professor turns to dust. And the thought of what the monster will do too Minnie is scary to think about.
With all that I said it's no surprise that Disney has since been hush hush about this short. As it doesn't align with the image Disney wants for Mickey, though I would argue that a little darkness here and there shouldn't be off limits, as I feel people young and old will still love Mickey regardless of this short. And what's wrong with a little creepiness? If anything, it will make more people like Mickey thanks to the darkness of the short and Mickey's design with the monster brain is both creepy and cute. I can definitely see this short having merchandise made of it and sold at Hot Topic. And Mickey's personality is still very much in tact, he's still a brave, heroic yet flawed mouse that we all love. And I for one really enjoy seeing Mickey being portrayed as just a regular person which Disney hasn't portrayed him as much these days as he's mainly a host for toddlers now, with the exception of the new Mickey shorts of course.
And like anything with Mickey, there's Easter eggs of Disney's catalogue, with Mickey playing a Snow White fighting game(with a Bambi inspired first person shooter suggested during production believe it or not), a photo of Mickey steering Steamboat Willie in his wallet, a cameo of Zazu from The Lion King. And also for old school Disney fans, the scientist's name is Frankenollie, combining the names of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney's Nine Old Men, the men who help shaped Disney animation and animation in general to what we know of today.
I think it's really a shame Disney's not too fond of this short. It's not on Disney+(and neither is House of Mouse or Mickey Mouse Works for that matter), and there's only two at home releases for it, one being the out of print Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color Vol. 2, and Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films on DVD and Blu-Ray, and the only way to see this short on this release, is through the digital code included with each new copy.
With that being said though the monster(who's named Julius) appeared as a secret boss in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Destiny. And I have read that Runaway Brain has had some influence on the Epic Mickey games so Disney isn't acting like Runaway Brain doesn't exist. But I wish more people knew about this short as I feel a lot of people will really dig it.
It's probably Mickey's best short in my eyes, and that's a bold statement as there's tons of fantastic Mickey shorts out there like The Brave Little Tailor, and while I love that short, the fact that Runaway Brain took a chance and dared to be different with the darker story and vibe without losing Mickey's trademark charm, and the fact Disney has sealed it away from most people's eyes has made me deem Runaway Brain as Mickey's best short to date.
Give it a watch if you have the chance:)
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
Perfectly okay
I've always been a fan of Dreamworks thanks to the Shrek movies. But seeing Ruby Gillman was the first time seeing a Dreamworks movie in a theater. And overall, it's okay to T.
The story is basically the coming of age of 15 year old Ruby Gillman who is a kraken but has to keep that a secret. She wants to ask out her crush to prom but a mishap has her unlock her kraken powers which was what her mother so desperately tried to keep hidden from her. This is as far as I'll go as I don't want to spoil it.
It's an okay story, the prom aspect isn't very interesting but Ruby going on her journey of learning her abilities and growing into herself was nice. However the story never pushed itself beyond the standard cliches we've seen in stories like this, like embarrassing yourself and having everyone in school knowing about it, awkward and disastrous attempt at asking out a crush, annoying sibling, embarrassing parents who may be hiding a secret and et. None of this is bad mind you but it wasn't given any real twist or surprise, all very average and plain, which is rather a shame as the characters and the world had lots of potential. But I will say the twist for the villain got me by surprise so there's that at least.
Ruby Gillman her self is a very likable lead who's journey is quite complicated but again nothing that we haven't see before. Her friends are your typical dorky goofy and embarrassing friends you've seen in literally every teen themed comedy. Her parents are your typical embarrassing but loving parents. Her brother is your typical annoying pest. While none of the characters are bad, they're just average. You've seen them before and this movie never goes beyond their typical cliches and tropes.
What isn't average however is the animation. I haven't watched any recent Dreamworks movie within the last few years and I'm happy to say the animation in this movie is the BIG highlight. When Ruby transforms into her true form underwater and glows and uses her powers it's very bright, colorful and flashy. Ruby, her family and the other kraken in the movie are all well designed and endearing. The non-kraken characters such as her friends and the background characters are more of a mixed bag. Some of them look okay while others look a bit strange to be honest. For example Ruby's friend Trevin, his head is too small for his rather large body, while on the other hand Chelsea was designed to be totally beautiful and they succeeded with flying colors.
The town the movie takes place looks cool, clearly they had a lot of fun designing everything though I will say that it does give the film a very babyish look, which was the intention I presume as this movie feels like kids are it's main audience. The underwater scenes were done very well as when Ruby first goes in there they perfectly show how deep and freaky the ocean gets the more deeper you get, but once Ruby turns giant it becomes much more inviting. So besides some of the weird characters designs the animation as a whole shows that Dreamwroks has not lost their touch and like Pixar and Disney are only getting better with their animation quality.
So overall this is just okay. I didn't regret watching it, I didn't hate it nor did I really like it. It was just okay, perfectly okay. The characters were reasonably likable, the script was fine the animation was great, and overall it was one of those movies that I couldn't really find anything to hate. It seems to me that Dreamworks is mostly focusing on the little kids these days with the Trolls and The Boss Baby movies which is why the fell off the radar for me. And while I liked Ruby Gillman I will admit I did count the minutes at times as I just didn't find the conflict or characters all that compelling. It was all likable, but it was all been there done that, nothing I haven't seen before and I was disappointed they didn't aspire to make this movie anything more but just okay. I definitely see kids especially little girls liking this movie and Ruby will no doubt have a fan following, I just hope that if they decide to bring her back if this movie does well, that they give her a more compelling story to tell as what's here doesn't really make her stand out.
And that's a shame.
'Twas the Night (2002)
A precious holiday special that's over too soon
I was going through the new arrivals at my local FYE and stumbled upon the DVD for this special. I instantly got hit with a wave of nostalgia as I've grown up watching HBO Family with many happy memories watching shows like A Little Curious, Crashbox, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Babar and so on. And I didn't have any recollection of seeing this special so I decided what the hey, it's only $3 and its from HBO Family so why not.
I watched it and oh boy what a nice special.
There's really no plot exactly but a collection of interviews of children giving their thoughts on the holidays, animated sequences of popular holiday songs from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong and Macie Gray. It doesn't sound like much but the special comes together to create something warm and sweet and absolutely precious.
For the kid interviews, it starts off kind of slow but it gradually gets more interesting as kids talk about standard stuff like Santa visiting their houses, but also showing love and appreciation for their loved ones and just being a good human being. Some stand out moments is one girl mentioning how she never had a visit from Santa because she lives in an apartment so she doesn't have a chimney and her dad won't let her leave the window open over night. Another child says he thinks Santa talks to polar bears in a special language, another girl says her dad is sort of Christian and her mom's sort of Jewish so she's kind of all over the place. And on that, I really really love how it doesn't just talk about just Christmas but also touches base with Kwanza and Hanukkah, as one moment with the kids is this one girl points out that she celebrates Kwanza and the girl next her celebrates Hanukkah which warmed my heart as I love seeing people of different faiths accepting one another and being at peace with each other. It's sweet.
But the interviews also get rather emotional as some of the kids discuss the deaths of loved ones in their lives, this is one of the more poignant moments in this special hearing how that these young innocent children have experienced such a loss.
There's also a moment where they interview a girl with leukemia who's Christmas wish is to go home for the Holidays. Her doctor gave her her present, being ruby red slippers and told her that her dream might come true, and it did. And then we get shown home video footage of her dancing around her living room on Christmas Day and it's just wonderful to see her happy.
There's also the animated sequences for songs which are just beautifully done. The ones that in particular stand out to me are the sequence for The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole which is simply a glimpse at people going through their day during the holidays, giving to the needy, going holiday shopping, a great holiday feast, kids looking out the window to see Santa and a couple dancing together on the ice. Just so warm and sweet, I love it.
And the sequence for Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland. It shows a white rabbit on boat at sea which is shown on the DVD case. He takes the boat's sail and turns it into the shape of a Christmas tree and the water splashes onto it making ornaments that show rabbits hugging each other inside. He tears up. It's then revealed that he was simply a snow globe and out side of the globe is a mother rabbit sitting by the fire as her many children sleep by her. Just lovely.
Other moments besides the interviews from the kids and the animated sequences, are also the reading of The Night Before Christmas by Louis Armstrong which I can imagine being a lot of kids first exposure to the man. A moment where these little girls dressed as angels very nervously sing Silent Night at a church, a sequence that is so precious. Another moment is a clip show of kids meeting Santa with the song Santa Baby playing and kids playing in the snow with the song Jingle Bells playing over that. And a nice moment where a child explains what Kwanza is as well as some African drum music and dancing.
So as a whole this special is just a delight. A delight that is over too soon. The special goes for about 30 minutes or so and by the time it ended I was like that was it? Not as in bad but as in I was really enjoying this and it ended so soon. This special is so good that I didn't want to leave it just yet. It's such a warm and sweet special that perfectly captures the joy and love that the holidays bring.
Only the coldest of hearts will find nothing to like in this.
It's a precious holiday special that anyone with any amount of holiday spirit should give it a watch as its massively underrated. And even if the holidays are over it's just a warm wholesome sweet special that never ceases to make me happy.
My favorite holiday special, and I hope you all enjoy it:)
Buddy (1997)
A pure delight, when family films had magic.
I remember seeing the trailer of this movie on the 3 Ninjas Kick Back DVD I think. I thought it looked nice and wanted to see it. I did some research and heard some not so positive thoughts about it and the fact its loosely based off of a real person and actual events. But I wanted to see the movie and judge it on its own merits as it looked like a nice movie.
And I'm happy to say I was not disappointed.
The movie revolves around millionaire and animal lover Trudy Lintz, who adopts an orphaned baby gorilla who she names Buddy. The film revolves around their journey through life together, as Buddy grows from a tiny baby to a full size adult and becomes too much for Trudy to handle.
The film is very sweet, having a whimsical and magical feel in every frame, from the chimps that Trudy treats as her children, the musical score, the cinematography and Buddy's love of Trudy, as he may be destructive but never out of malice, only out of him not knowing his own strength and him being overwhelmed by the world around him.
The film is nicely paced and well acted. The puppetry in the film is superb as there were criticisms that the puppetry didn't mesh well with the actual animal performers but I feel the opposite, they all mesh well perfectly.
Overall the movie worked pretty well for me. It reminds one of how magical and delightful movies can be. Sometimes we don't need a dark and mature story to move us but a simple larger then life story about a woman and her gorilla who love each other to bits is something that would stay with you long after the movie ends. While the film is certainly not perfect, though that's a matter of opinion, for anyone who likes animals flicks, puppets, fantasy, magic and overall delight, this movie is definitely worth a look.
They don't make family films like they use too.
Bunny Mooning (1937)
Substance-less but nice
I remember seeing this short back when my sister made my dad buy this VHS tape at a check out counter at Walmart many years ago. It had this short and another short called Hawaiian Birds. But we're discussing Bunny Mooning here, and honestly it's okay.
The short doesn't really have a plot per se. It revolves around a bunny couple getting married and the animal people getting ready for it. Thats really it. Really the whole short is just a series of animal related gags. It's enjoyable though, the charming animation and the song that's sung through it really make this otherwise pretty bland short worth watching.
I remember seeing this as a little kid and even then I was surprised at how there wasn't really any conflict to speak of. I thought there was going to be an issue when the Bunnies making their way to the wedding place but no. But I still liked watching it though. Sometimes having something that doesn't really have any substance but is still a pleasant watch that gives you a warm feeling is okay sometimes. That's probably why these Color Classic shorts aren't all the well known because they never really stood out from the cream of the crop, being Disney, Warner Bros and MGM. But they're still worth watching for the pure joyful nothing that they are.
It's worth a watch thanks to it's charm but be please note that the short does contain one brief out of date racial depiction.
Dancing on the Moon (1935)
A sad cat groom and a downer ending
The short goes like this, it revolves around various animal couples who seem to have recently wed and they all get into a rocket ship and fly away to dance on the moon. A cat couple arrive late and when they reach the rocket, the cat bride is left behind leaving the cat groom all alone.
Now the premise itself is perfectly fine, the song they sing is a lovely little ditty that I like to sing to my self on occasion. I feel with a lot of these shorts, they don't really have a plot, as a plot has a goal that the characters are trying to achieve, without a plot then the story is boring. Now for old shorts with lovely music, lovely animation and endless charm, this can be forgiven and can be taken for the nothing that it is. Just 7 minutes of joyful nothing and that's it. Nothing to hang onto just something nice to watch and nothing more. But this short is bit short on joy.
You see, the cat groom is sad to leave his bride behind, the other couples happily sing the title song and dance together on the moon, but the poor cat groom is so sad the whole time. It's like we're having fun only for it to go sad at like an instant. It makes for a very bittersweet viewing experience as I feel for the poor cat groom but I'm enjoying the happy animal couples and the song. But seeing that cat so sad and seeing him get beat up by his bride after the other couples got their babies from the storks just made the whole short not super pleasant and ending on a bad note.
I heard that if you look at it like the groom knows he's about to get beat up and when he does it's funny, but they play his sadness out all depressing like, and so seeing him without a happy ending is just makes me leave the short disappointed. Which is really too bad because if the ending was happy, then this would've been a great short, but as it stands, the ending makes the short rather depressing than joyful.
There is enjoyment to be had with this short thanks to the song and the animation, but unfortunately the sad cat groom and the downer ending just made the whole short just so hard to really like.
It's definitely worth a watch for old cartoon fans but don't expect the whole short to be super nice and don't expect a happy ending either. And that's what ruined this otherwise lovely cartoon.
"Dancing on the moon, with you in my arms"
If only the cat groom did...
Sing (2016)
Reminds me of the magic of movies
I remember when I first stumbled upon this movie. This came up as a YouTube ad and it completely captivated me. I thought "finally a movie that I'm actually psyched to see". I saw it on opening night and wow do I love this movie.
The story is that Buster Moon, lover of the theater since childhood is now a struggling theater owner who's looking to get out of his financial struggles. He decides to host a singing competition. After an audition, people (or animals) from various backgrounds and with various motivations to why they're in the competition all compete for a chance to win $100,000.
Now this sounds pretty run of the mill and your right, but the film is self aware of that. Now of course being self aware doesn't fix the issue of being predictable but at least the film is in on itself which I like. But the movie doesn't play out at all how you might expect with many twists and turns but an ultimately satisfying conclusion. If you expected this to be a simple story about a singing competition with a winner at the end, you'll be surprised to know that the film is so much more than that, and I'm so glad it is.
So the storyline is fantastic but what about the characters? All of them are great and everyone in the audience will have a favorite character. I honestly can go on and on about our main cast but I don't want to spoil them for you, so I'll talk about a few of them. Johnny(Voiced by Taron Egerton), my favorite, is a kindhearted gorilla who's father wants him to be a criminal like him, but Johnny aspires to be a singer. He's my favorite as I can relate to him the most, as I see me and my dad in him and his dad, and his dream of being singer is simple sure but lots of people have dreams that some deem silly and that makes him easier to identify with. Mike, an egotistical mouse is not the nicest guy but honestly he's just fun to watch especially since he keeps to getting himself into trouble. I normally don't like jerk characters but he's a great example of the jerk you love to hate. And being voiced by Seth MacFarlane in one of his only other roles besides Ted, A Million Ways to Die in the West and of course Family Guy helps too. The man's a genuine talent and should do more stuff showcasing that.
Every single character is great and all the performances from the film's cast in both acting and singing is right on point. Thanks to this film I'm a fan of everyone here and I look forward to seeing them whatever they do in the future.
The animation is gorgeous especially since The Secret Life of Pets I feel didn't have the best character designs. But this one is leaps and bounds better. The music might definitely put some people off, I know YouTuber I Hate Everything hates this movie but everyone has a right to an opinion and I love the music and this movie to bits.
It might not be unique and the plot might not be anything special but I'm of the belief that a film can be as predictable as it wants as long as the film is good, and I think it is. Not every movie needs reinvent the wheel, sometimes just a nice enjoyable film that makes you feel good is enough. The film is a crowd pleaser in the best possible way and reminds anyone that there's no dream too foolish or stupid to follow if you believe in yourself.
Seeing this in the theater was so magical and reminded me how great movies can be. And I hope I can create that magic as well.
I can't recommend you see this movie enough. You might not feel the same as me, but this movie will remind you just how magical movies can be. And we need that magic again.
The Flying Mouse (1934)
My Favorite Disney Short
I remember seeing this short on the 2006 DVD of Dumbo. This and Elmer the Elephant. I believe they chose these two as on revolves around flying and the other elephants. But both revolve around misfits like Dumbo. But we're discussing The Flying Mouse here, and even at the young age of 10, the two shorts but especially The Flying Mouse hit close to home.
The Flying Mouse revolves around a young mouse who wants to fly like the birds. After several failed attempts that caused him to be laughed at by his brothers and spanked by his mother, the little mouse saves a butterfly who was about to be eaten by a spider. The butterfly reveals herself to be a fairy who offers him one wish, he wishes for wings and she grants it. But it doesn't turn out as well as he hoped.
Now the short really resonated with me even to this day as the character of the mouse was very relatable to me. He was shown to have dreams deemed impossible, he was different than the other kids, he embarrassed himself and was laughed at, he got in trouble without meaning to. But was also very kind. He just wanted to be loved and admired. He's very easy to feel for and identify with.
The whole short may seem like a simple cut and try story about a mouse who gets wings and flies but it's not. The overall theme I feel is about a mouse who simply just wants to be loved. And he feels that by having the wings, he'll get that from the birds and his family. But what happens is the birds stick up their beaks and shoo him from their young. The mouse's family thinks he's a monster and throw things at him. And when he runs away into a cave under a tree, bats find him and call him a nothin.
The poor little mouse tries to pull the wings off, the thing he thought would give him the love he craved only gave him pain. He tries to pull them off but they won't. And then the poor little mouse cries. Thinking to himself "What have I gotten myself into? I didn't mean for all this trouble. I just wanted to be loved." Which is one of the saddest moments as we all have a moment where we think we wanted something, only to be let down.
And then the fairy comes back asking him why he is crying. And he tells her that he's not a mouse, he's a nothin, and that he wishes that he was dead. Which is literally the saddest thing a child could say and think. And then the fairy tells him that he learned his lesson, and to be himself and do his best and that life will smile upon him. With the message being, don't be something you aren't, be the best you you can be, it might be tough for now, but what makes you different could be thing that will make you succeed in life. Which is wonderful message to give. Which was what the mouse really wished for all along.
And after giving the Fairy kisses on the hand, the little mouse runs back home to his mom. Who despite spanking him, still loves him and is happy to see him home safe and sound. The little mouse showers his mother with kisses while his brothers dance when they see him. They may have laughed at him but they still love him. This ending always makes me a crying mess. As it makes me think of my own mom and family, how we may have our moments where we get frustrated with each other, but no matter what we still love each other.
The Flying Mouse is sweet, touching and an extremely relatable short that even in the year 2021, years and years since 1934, still touches the heart. It's my favorite Disney short and I've seen lots of em, but this was the one that resonated with me the most, and if you haven't seen it yet, I can't recommend this short enough.
Go watch it!
Heartfelt (2015)
A sweet movie with an undeniable message.
I found out about this film from Adam Kreutinger's youtube channel as he had this in his projects play list. I've been going on a puppet binge recently and I've been devouring many puppet films, shows and videos, so I instantly gave it a watch.
The film tells the story about a woman who aspires to be a puppeteer, but her mom and her friends all discourage her from pursuing it. She then works for an advertising company and hates every second of it. But her love of puppetry is still alive and all of the sudden the puppets from her past come to her and start pushing her to follow her heart.
The film is very sweet. The story at its core is oh so relatable as many people have goals and aspirations that are out side societal norms and so they are put down and told that they will fail. And so they give up on what they're most passionate about and go into careers that they hate. Denying what their heart truly desires. This film shows this, and it tells viewers that no matter what others may think or say, no matter how silly or strange your goals may be, you follow your heart and do what makes you happy. A common theme I see in films involving puppets(Being Elmo and I am Big Bird for example). I can relate to this as similar events happened to me and to see that message told and by puppets which are very strongly linked to childhood innocence touched my heart. There's no dream too silly or too strange to pursue, which is a wonderful message to give. And the puppets made by Adam Kreutinger are top notch as always and the performances from them are a lot of fun. The cinematography is great and overall it's a nicely produced film.
While I liked the film a lot I will admit that the acting isn't always the best. For the most part the acting in the film is fine but all the major actors all have sour moments where their acting isn't quite there and are too overtop. I know that the film is a comedy about puppets but I wish the leads weren't so hammy as it took me out of the film.
But overall, the film is very sweet, the message is undeniable, and for anyone who loves puppets and for anyone who felt or was told that their dreams and goals were too silly or strange, should absolutely see this film:)
Honeymoon Hotel (1934)
An underrated classic that deserves more attention
Now I would like to say that if it wasn't for Footlight Parade I would not have known this short existed. I knew about Merry Melodies but I never ever came across the short or knew it existed until I bought Footlight Parade on Blu-Ray and this was included as well as others as a bonus feature.
And I'm VERY happy to have seen this short. While the short isn't big on story, the fun music and charming characters and world more then make up for it.
Now the short is about a couple of bugs who get married and check into a Honeymoon Hotel. Long story it gets caught on fire, but the fire department comes and puts it out and then the two bugs, well if the baby at the end is any indication you know what they're doing(wink wink).
The short does a great job of immersing you into its world. With the beginning song of the short showing bug town and how they go about themselves. It doesn't really have anything to do with the story but it's a nice sequence that leads to the main plot. With the world that this short takes place it, I really wish that they did more with this world as it's very charming.
The character designs while in some respects is standard for the era, all look fantastic. I love old cartoons mainly because the art style is so darn cute! And this short is no exception, all the characters for the most part are just so adorable without going overboard.
And the title and tune of the song comes from a musical number from Footlight Parade which has the same name. It's my favorite number in the whole film and while it's not sung word for word as the lyrics have changed, it's interesting to see the song and number with a new unique spin on it.
Whenever I'm stressed and want to unwind I put on this short and I feel mighty fine. While it might not be regarded as one of the greats of the golden age of animation, Honeymoon Hotel is a charming and enjoyable short that deserves more attention.